Il San Pietro di Positano

Who's Going

Jennifer Aniston, George Clooney, Julia Roberts

Reason to Stay

Private Beach, Michelin-Star Restaurant, Chic Clientele

Hotel Type

Luxury Resort

Set just outside the sometimes-touristy vertical sprawl of Positano, Il San Pietro is a luxury hotel marvel carved out of a cliffside of Amalfi with private rock beach connected to the main hotel through an elevator carved out of the mountainside. Along a curvy strip of harrowing road comes the historic façade of the building that gives way to a more soothing lobby of white walls, arched-window reception and ornamental selection of grown-up, sometimes matronly furnishings. Glossy and handpainted tile floors are juxtaposed to barrel ceilings with ornate archways and buttress ceiling that contain large panels of glass facing the sea.

Unlike the Sirenuse, tall ceilings and spacious balconies give the appearance that the hotel is larger if not just airier. The main hotel houses a La Prairie-branded spa with massage and body treatments as well as decent-size fitness center more for cardio than any type of weight training. Two in-house restaurants include the showy seaside Carlino located on the water and in-house namebrand gourmand located within the actual hotel structure. The beach below the hotel offers an array of swimming and boating activities in addition to a small pool for when the sea isn't quite warm enough for swimming.

The Room

While some hotel skimp on entry-level accommodations, booking any room at Il San Pietro results in a fulfilling first-impression. Standard and Deluxe rooms may be small in size with their split-level ceilings and ornate gold headboards, but with glossy tile floors and sliding glass doors that open to small terrace with chairs and glass table ideal for morning coffee and complimentary in-room breakfast. Junior suites are modestly more spacious with larger living area with club chairs or sofa, more appealing on the eye than derriere, which doesn’t always say much given the tendency towards ‘70s Italian glam. For families, there rooms are ideal for an extra bed that comes with a modest 95-Euro per day supplement. Bathrooms are dramatic spaces with handmade tiles and bathtub or shower-combinations with occasional view of the sea.